Dreamweaver Article

Accessing Windows File Servers from a Macintosh

Few company networks have only one type of operating system connected, It is not uncommon for web developers to use Macintosh computers for site development, and web servers running some version of Microsoft Windows Server with Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, or some other database servers the back-end database. This complex set of operating systems and environments can present headaches when communicating and transferring data between these platforms. In this article, I explore the integration of Apple Macintosh computers running both Mac OS X 10.2 and Mac OS 9 into a heterogeneous network and I demonstrate how to create a site definition that connects to IIS (Internet Information Server) on a Windows 2000 Server.

Mac OS X 10.2 and Windows

If you are using Mac OS 9, skip ahead to the section on configuring Mac OS 9 and Windows. Using applications such as Dave and Sharity and Services for Macintosh (through Windows NT / 2k), Macintosh users have for many years been able to participate on a Windows network. However, it wasn’t until the arrival of Mac OS X 10.1 that this level of connectivity was built into the application.

SMB/CIFS

Computers running Windows 95, 98, ME, and Windows NT share resources using the SMB (Server Message Block) protocol. Windows 2000 and Windows XP use an extension of the SMB protocol called CIFS (Common Internet File System), which incorporates all of the functionality of its earlier SMB versions.

Connecting to a Windows Share

To connect to a shared Windows folder, you setup TCP/IP and you must also have access permissions to the computer.

Browsing the Windows Network To see what shares are available, use the following steps:

1. Choose Connect to Server located in the Go menu in the Finder. The dialog will show any server you have previously connected to.

   Select the server you wish to log into and click Connect.

   

2. The login screen below appears. In this dialog, type your user name, password, and Domain.

   

3. Clicking OK, which mounts the server volume on your desktop as shown in the screenshot below.

   
4. If you double-click this icon, it opens a Finder window, which you can use to drag and drop files from server volume and your local hard disk.

Setting Up Database Connectivity

Once you’ve mounted the server volume, use the following steps to create a site definition that will enable you to connect to a web server, such as IIS.

1. Choose New Site from the Site menu.
2. Enter all relevant Local Information

3. From the Remote Info category, select the Local/Network access option.

   
4. Click the folder icon for the Remote Folder field, and browse to locate the shared volume on your desktop.
5. Now select the Testing Server category. Choose your application server model, and ensure the pop-up menu for Access is set to Local/Network.
   

6. In the URL Prefix field, type “http://” followed by the name of the computerName/ShareName/

   Note: If you have selected ColdFusion as the Server Model and are running the built-in ColdFusion MX web server rather than IIS as the web server, you must include the ColdFusion MX server port number, as shown below.

   http://name of the http://computer:8500/ShareName/

   If you configured ColdFusion MX to us IIS as your web server, you do not need to specify a port number.

7. Click Ok to save the new site definition.
8. Having configured the site definition, you should be able to create a database connection using a local DSN (Data Source Name).

9. Once you’ve established the connection, the Dreamweaver MX Databases panel should look similar to the screenshot below.

   

Connecting to a Windows Share Using Mac OS 9

You can also integrate a Macintosh client running Mac OS 9 into a Windows network. However, this will require you to install an additional component entitled File Server for Macintosh. This service enables Macintosh users to share files and resources, such as a printer on an AppleTalk network. It also allows Macintosh users to use printers attached to a Windows Server 2000.

Installing Services for Macintosh You must have an NT File System(NTFS) partition installed on your Windows 2000 server before you can install the component File Server for Macintosh, and of course, your Windows 2000 user account must have the necessary permissions to install system services.

Adding the File Server for Macintosh component

To add the file server component, follow these steps:

1. On the Windows 2000 server, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel and double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
3. From the Windows Component Wizard, choose the Other Network File and Print Services option.

4. Click the Details button and click the File Services for Macintosh checkbox.

   Note: If you want Macintosh users to be able to send print jobs to a print spooler, click the Print Services for Macintosh checkbox as well.

5. Click Next, and then click Finish to complete the installation.

Once you have installed the File Server for Macintosh component, you have automatically enabled the AppleTalk Protocol (AFP) over TCP/IP.

Sharing Windows 2000 Server Files with Macintosh OS 9 Clients

Now that you’ve successfully installed File Services for Macintosh, you’ll create a folder and make it accessible to Macintosh clients. Use the following steps to do this.

1. On the Windows server, create a new folder. In this instance, I’ve called mine ruplaying.
2. Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management.

3. With the Computer Management dialog box displaying, right-click the Shares folder and choose New File Share.

   Note: Right-clicking the folder enables you to configure the component File Server for Macintosh.

4. Browse to the folder that you wish to share and click OK. The Create Shared Folder dialog now reappears.
5. Check the box labelled Apple Macintosh in the Accessibility from the following clients.

6. Click Next to enable yourself to set permissions for what users can do.

   By default, all users have the “All users have full control” permission. However, it is best to customize the share and set permissions for each member of the group that you want to have access to the folder.

   Having created the new share, the new Computer Management dialog will now show a Macintosh and Windows version of the shared folder you have just created.

   

Configuring the Macintosh OS 9 client.

For a Macintosh OS 9 client to connect to a Windows 2000 server, the Macintosh must have AppleTalk and TCP/IP activated. Use the following steps to do this.

1. Choose Apple > Control Panels > TCP /IP.

2. Select Ethernet from the Connect via pop-up menu.

   If necessary, enter an IP Address and a Subnet mask.

3. Next, choose Apple > Control Panels > AppleTalk and make sure that the pop-up connect menu is set to Ethernet.
4. Choose Apple > Chooser > AppleShare and select the name of the Windows server you want to connect to.
5. Within the Connect dialog box, select the name of the shared folder you wish to connect to and click OK
6. The shared volume will appear on the desktop.

Conclusion

You should now be able to connect to the Windows shared folder within Dreamweaver and connect to a database on the Windows 2000 server.

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About the author

Mark Fletcher is one of the most experienced authors at the Virtual Training Company, where he specializes in creating training CDs and online tutorials on Macromedia products, such as UltraDev, Fireworks, HomeSite, Sitespring, and Dreamweaver, including Dreamweaver MX Fundamentals, Dreamweaver MX Web Applications, and the soon to be released, Dreamweaver Advanced. Mark also develops online tutorials for WebAssist.com, a Dreamweaver and UltraDev extension developer.

 

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